This past weekend I had my first keynote speech at a local college for their 3rd annual Black Girls Rock Ceremony. It was such an amazing experience to speak to young women about the power of investing in themselves so they can build up their community.

When I was preparing my speech, I realized this was a similar topic that I’ve been wanting to share on my blog for a long time. I've been having conversations with some of my biz besties about how I notice a disconnect with women who focus more on investing in their weekly mani/pedi than they do with personal growth.

Why is this a problem? I'm glad you asked.

So many people that I come across every day are faking happy. They look good on the outside but internally they are sad.

They don't know their purpose in life. They don't know what they want. They feel stuck and unfulfilled. They're not happy.

However, they're dressed fly to a T, hair and nails always done, but yet they're lost.

I want the women that come in contact with BeFree Project to recognize the power in investing in their personal growth so they can be genuinely happy.

Today, I'm going to share why you NEED to invest in your personal growth in order to be free to live the life you envision for yourself. I've also created a freebie just for you, a cheat sheet with seven simple ways on how you can start to invest in yourself.

A little bit of my story...

For 17 years of my life I was mentally and emotionally stuck as a result of my mother abandoning me when I was a young girl. I was raised by my grandmother and had a great support system from my family and friends. However, there was always something missing or a void from not having a healthy relationship with my mother.

In our culture, we’re taught not to talk about certain things and at some point you’ll get over it, just keep doing your best.

Well, the thing is, I never got over it.

I always felt like I wasn’t good enough and I struggled with negative thoughts that prevented me from truly living a fulfilled life.

Now if you were to look at me you would have thought I was perfectly happy. I had the house, “good job,” husband, and kids. But internally I was dying because I lived in fear that the people close to me would abandon me just like my mother did.

I got to a point where I couldn't take it anymore and I knew I had to do something. I made one of the best decision I could have ever made for myself, I invested in professional counseling.

After 4 months of counseling, I was able to accept that my mother did the best she could with what she knew at the time. I forgave her and I was able to heal from my past and move forward.

I would have never been able to do this if I didn't seek out a counselor to help me with the issues I had been struggling with.

There was a time when I was embarrassed and ashamed of my past and now I embrace it because I know my story is no longer my own, it's now meant to inspire others.

As a result of me investing in my mental wellness, I then was able to discover my purpose and create a business where I empower women to be free to create the life they desire on their own terms.

This is why I’m so passionate about empowering women because I know what it feels like to be stuck and I understand the power of investing in you so you can change your life.

What I mean by investing in yourself...

Let me be clear, I totally believe in looking nice and presentable so I'm definitely not saying stop taking care of yourself. What I don't want to see is that you focus so much on looking good on the outside that you don't take time to really work on you.

How the heck are you going to be free and live the life you envision for yourself if you don't know who you are?

Too many people are mentally and emotionally unhealthy, spending too much time watching TV and checking Facebook instead of setting goals and creating a vision for their life.

You have layers and layers of "stuff" that has built up over the years that you refuse to even deal with. It's easier for you to look cute than it is for you to pick up a book and learn something new that can change your life.

If you don't get anything else from this post, please realize that it's not healthy for you to walk around not knowing your purpose in life. You possess special gifts that are meant to be shared with the world. You're robbing others because you're not walking in your purpose.

5 Reasons Why You Need To Invest In Yourself

1. YOU'LL BOOST YOUR HAPPINESS

When you start discovering who you are and setting goals, you're guaranteed to feel happier about your life. You'll be doing something that brings you joy and you'll have peace of mind.

2. YOU'LL BE MORE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT YOUR FUTURE

Knowing that you have a plan for your life gives you a fresh perspective and it ignites a fire in you. You're optimistic and open to endless possibilities.

3. YOU DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

The things that use to bother you will be minimal because you're too busy working on you that you don't have time for petty stuff. Your main goal is to keep it moving.

4.YOU'LL FREE YOUR MIND

Positive thoughts equal a positive life. Feeding your mind with information that will grow you as an individual is an excellent way to invest in yourself.

5. YOU'LL START LIVING A LIFE WITH INTENTION

You'll discover your purpose and start living the life you desire. You no longer just exist and go through the motions of life. Your life now has meaning and substance.

Whew that was a lot, you're awesome for taking the time to make it to the end of this post. I hope you now understand the value of investing in your personal growth so you can truly live life and be happy.

I recently launched the Free Your Mind Journal for anyone who's consumed by negative thoughts and you're ready to change your life. This is the perfect journal for you to start investing in you so you can get your mind right.

Life is about growing. You should be always working on some area of your life. Walking around like you're ok when you're really not, is not the business, Start investing in your personal growth because you're worth it.

I created a free cheat sheet with some simple ways that you can start to invest in you today. Click the button to download it and tweet me to let me know which step you'll put in practice right away.